Golf shaft



Dec. 14, 1937.

. R. H. COWDERY ET AL GOLF SHAFT Filed Nov. 50, 1935 I INVENTOR.Faber-7, HCawc/ery and Car/h/r' "f ATTORNEYS.

Patented Dec. 14, 1937 FATE GOLF

SHAFT Robert H. Co-wdery and Carl Wright, Geneva, @hio, assignors to TheAmerican Fork & Hoe

Company, Cleveland,

Ohio, a corporation of Application November 30, 1935, Serial No. 52,396

Claims.

This invention relates to tubular metal shafts for golf clubs, and moreparticularly to tubular metal shafts for golf clubs provided with animproved metallic ferrule integral therewith.

5 We are familiar with prior metal tubular shafts for golf clubs whereinthe tip of the shaft is projected into the hosel of the club head, and aferrule of celluloid or the like is disposed on the shaft above andadjacent the club head hosel to effect a smooth juncture of the shaftwith the club head. The juncture of the ferrule and hosel is generallysealed by a ring appropriately colored. However, ferrules of this typeare primarily for appearance and 5, lend little in improving the balanceof the club and strengthening the same in that area.

We have found. that by providing a relatively sharp taper upwardly inthe hosel portion of irons club and providing a corresponding swell inthe shaft that the club is considerably strengthened in this area whichis the area where rupture or deformation normally occurs. Additionally,this construction achieves a better balance of the club generally.

It is an object of our invention, therefore, to provide an improved golfclub of the metallic shaft class.

Another object of our invention is to provide, in a golf club of thetype comprising a tubular metallic shaft inserted into a club headhosel, improved means for effecting a gradual merging of the hosel andthe shaft.

Another object of our invention is to provide a golf club comprising atubular metallic shaft and head wherein the hosel portion of the headtapers relatively sharply and the shaft is provided with a relativelyenlarged tapered portion merging with the hosel.

Another object of our invention is to provide n improved means foreffecting the juncture of the of a golf club with the metallic shaft byproviding a shaft with a relatively thickened tip.

Other objects of the invention and the invention itself will becomeincreasingly". apparent from the following description and drawing,wherein:

Fig. 1 is an elevational view of a golf shaft embodying our invention;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional View of a portion of theclub of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a view generally similar to Fig. 2, showing the ferrule infinished form;

Fig. 4 is a view generally similar to Fig. 2, showing a modification ofour invention; and

Fig. 5 is a view generally similar to Figs. 2

and 3, showing a further modification of our invention.

Referring now to the drawing, and particularly to Fig. 1, we haveindicated generally at i a golf club shaft preferably tapering from ahand grip portion 2, at the large end of the shaft towards the club head3 secured to a small or tip end of the shaft. The taper of the shaft lconstitutes no essential part of the present invention, and in theembodiment illustrated the shaft is of plain surface constructionalthough it is understood that the surface may be corrugated orstep-tapered. The lower end of the shaft, as indicated at d, ispreferably gradually tapered, and the shaft is secured to the head 3 bydriving the tapered portion i into a corresponding tapering bore in thetubular hosel 5 of the club head 3, and secured against displacementtherefrom by a transverse pin 6.

The hosel portion 5 is preferably sharply tapered or increasesrelatively rapidly in diameter in the upper portion of the hosel,providing a relatively thick transverse shoulder l. Abutting the hoselshoulder portion i is a corresponding shoulder provided on a ferrule 3integrally secured to. the shaft in a manner hereinafter described.

The ferrule 8, as best illustrated in Fig. 2, is preferably formed ofbrass and counter-bored to provide tapering wall portions maintainedspaced from the tube wall proper by means of an annular shoulder 9. Theferrule upper portion, as indicated at iii, engages the tube wall and issecured thereto by brazing, soldering, welding or the like. After thebrazing operation, the ferrule is ground to conform to the contourindicated by the dotted line l l.

The shoulder 9 is preferably somewhat thicke than the ferrule wallssince it will be subjected to considerable stress during use of the cluband. also provides sufficient area to braze or otherwise rigidly securethe inner peripheral shoulder portion to the tube. The counter-boredferrule provides considerable strength without undue weight. Although wepreferably secure the shoulder 9 to the tube, we contemplate that thismay be omitted.

The juncture of the upper ferrule end with the tube provides a smoothmerging of the ferrule and tube, and thus a ferrule relatively light inweight due to the counter-bore and suficiently strong so that it willnot dent or cave at the butt end is provided integral with the tube.

The ferrule may be suitably plated to conform in finish to the club headitself, such as chromium plated; or as illustrated in Fig. 5, a thinprotective sheath l3 formed of Celluloid or like material may encase theferrule prior to assembly of the shaft with the club head. The sheath I3is provided at its enlarged lower end with a radially inwardly extendingflange I4 abutting the shoulder El of the ferrule whereby, upon assemblyof the shaft and club head, the flange M will be tightly grippedintermediate the upper transverse face of an annular ring 19 and theshoulder 9 of the ferrule, thus maintaining the sheath in a desiredposition. The ring I9 is preferably formed of resilient material, andacts as a shock absorber in insuring a tight fit during assembly of theshaft and club head and also, functions in use of the club preventingundue strains in this portion.

We thus provide a relatively strong connection at the club head, and dueto the outward flaring of both the hosel and the ferrule, strains aredistributed longitudinally of the shaft without danger of a rupture atthe point of greatest strain in the shaft, namely, the ferrule portionof the shaft.

Additionally, the feel of the shaft is improved, due to the extrastrength provided at the shaft tip.

We have indicated in Fig. 4, a modification of our invention, wherein agenerally similar construction is shown but the ferrule indicated at i5comprises two parts, a generally frusto-conical portion 16 formed ofbrass and brazed to the tube, and a washer or bushing H. The washer orbushing may be formed of any suitable material, such as brass, and ispreferably also connected to the tube by brazing, the frusto-conicalportion I6 and washer ll being undercut to provide mutually engageableshoulder portions as indicated at i8. The ferrule portions i6 and I? maybe integrally joined by welding, brazing, or

I the like, at the shoulder portion, although the gives a newdistribution of the forces in a golf club and that imparts an improvedresiliency to the club, as well as a new feel, and insures economy inmanufacture, in the matter of reduction of parts, assembly, time laborand cost.

Although we have shown and described modifications of our invention, wecontemplate that numerous and extensive departures may be made therefromwithout departing from the spirit of our invention and the scope of theappended claims.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim is:

l. A tubular metallic golf club shaft having a metallic ferrule encasingthe tip portion of said shaft, a substantial longitudinal portion ofsaid ferrule being integrally metallically joined with said shaft, andthe lower portion of said ferrule being disconnected and spaced awayfrom said shaft, said ferrule increasing in diameter beyond said area ofjuncture and terminating in a metallic annular shoulder, said shoulderextending inwardly and engaging the shaft at the inner periphery of saidshoulder and at the area of maximum ferrule diameter, said ferrulehaving a cavity above said shoulder surrounding said tubular shaft, saidshoulder being integral with said ferrule.

2. A tubular metallic golf club shaft having in combination a metallicferrule generally of a frusto-conical shape formed to provide toward thehead of the club internal walls progressively spaced from the encircledshaft portion along the lower portion of said ferrule, and terminatingat the portion of maximum diameter in a trans verse inwardly extendingannular metallic shoulder engaging said shaft, the upper ferrule portionbeing metallically united with said shaft for a substantial distance,and the shaft tip portion extending beyond said shoulder, said shoulderbeing metallically joined along its outer diameter to said ferrule andbeing metallically joined along its inner diameter directly to saidshaft.

3. A tubular metallic golf club shaft provided with a metallic ferrulegenerally of frusto-conical shape and metallically united with the shaftfor a substantial upper portion of the ferrule length, the ferrule lowerportion being spaced from the encircled shaft portion and terminating ina portion of maximum diameter comprising an inwardly extending integralshoulder adapted to engage with the hosel end portion ofthe club headand providing a cavity above said shoulder intermediate the inner wallsof the ferrule and the shaft, and a tip portion of the shaft of reduceddiameter and extending beyond said shoulder being adapted to beprojected within the club head hosel.

4. In a golf club, a club head including a hosel, a tubular metallicshaft having a tip portion projected into the hosel and secured thereto,a metallic ferrule including an upper portion metallically joined withthe shaft for a substantial distance and a lower portion having walls ofsubstantially uniform thickness and of increasing diameter, the lowerferrule portion terminating in the zone of maximum diameter in anintegral inwardly extending shoulder engaging the shaft and providing acavity above the shoulder intermediate the internal walls of the ferruleand the external walls of the shaft, and a sheath of relatively thinmaterial encasing the ferrule having an integral radially inwardlyextending annular flange and maintained in abutting relation with saidferrule shoulder to prevent movement of the sheath longitudinally of theshaft.

5. The golf club as described in claim 4 and wherein an annular ring ofresilient material is disposed intermediate the sheath flange and thehosel upper end portion.

ROBERT H. COWDERY. CARL WRIGHT.

